Canada invades EVO2011: trip planning and discussion thread

Regional Matchmaking Canada
1

Starting a thread for discussion about group trips to evo. I’ll try to update this post with new info as we go.

**Date: **July 29-31st 2011
Place: Rio Las Vegas
What you need:
[LIST]
[]Passport/Travel Visa (if you’re not canadian)
[] Plane Ticket
[*] US Money
[/LIST]
**Budget: ** Typically you’re looking at the $1000-1200 range for flight and stay at vegas for roughly a week. This does NOT include food or any activities you want to do while you’re there.

Money Saving Tips:
If you can drive across the border, you can save $150-200 in travel costs by flying from Buffalo. I’m not sure if it’s a direct flight to vegas, but people have said that it’s not exactly a pleasant flight.

JayWang has made some notes regarding driving across the border to fly:

So do some price shopping before deciding on how you want to travel! While you’ll likely save money, depending your situation it may not be worth your while to do this. If you carpool to Buffalo parking charges and gas can be shared among a group, which would lower the cost. Make sure you do your homework and price shop!

Know your gambling limits! Vegas is a tempting place, and it’s easy to blow alot of cash very quickly. Try and keep things within your limits and keep a budget on how much you want to gamble/will to lose.

I believe there is now a Walgreens on the strip. I’m not sure if their prices are jacked up, but I’m guessing it would be cheaper than trying to buy things at anywhere else on the strip.

Coupons! 30% off for staying 3 nights at the Rio, seems to be cheaper than the Evo discount rate.
https://www.totalrewards.com/MakeRes...s&propCode=RLV

Flight Considerations
This prob sounds obvious, but I think it should be said just as a reminder.

[LIST]
[*]Check with your airline regarding carry-on sizes and costs. I think it’ll be ok if you have a backpack for your stick, and a small carry-on luggage for your clothes. Letting you skip the check in lines at the airport.

[*]If you go the above route, note that you CANNOT bring liquids (soap, creams, toothpaste), razor blades, nailclippers etc. So pack carefully! Bring an electric shaver if you have one instead, and resort to using hotel toiletries/going to walgreens to buy it.

[*]If you’re planning to do some shopping, you may want to bring a larger luggage and check it with next to nothing in it. This way you can carry all your new goodies back without having to worry about how to bring them back.
[/LIST]

Hotel/Stay ideas:
The Rio is off the main strip. I have been told that it is not safe to walk from the Rio to the strip at night (or maybe any time). So if you’re staying in vegas a few days before or after Evo, you may want to consider staying at a hotel on the strip for that portion of the stay. However there are free shuttles from the Rio to the strip, but they tend to stop service relatively early.

Seeding at EVO
For those who wants to be seeded at EVO this year, there are qualifiers from now til June to earn ranking points. Here are the ones that are close to Ontario:

Montreal June 4th-5th - Montreal Annual Tournament VIII http://mat.mtlsf.com/

Atlantic City, NJ May 2011 - East Coast Throwdown
Cincinnati, OH 4/29/2011 - PowerUp 2011
Chicago 5/27/2011 - Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament (about an 8 hour drive)
Philidelphia 2/26/2011 - GVN Winter Brawl (about a 9 hour drive)

Post up if you’re going, share your plans so people can either meet up or get an idea of what’s going on! Feel free to share any money saving tips or things people should know about EVO/Vegas, and I’ll update this post with more information.

2

I haven’t booked yet but I know i’ll be flying out of Toronto on Thursday the 28th, returning August 1st. As for the hotel i’ll be staying all of those days. Currently dont’ have anyone to bunk with yet but i’m willing to take up to 3 others to split the cost.

3

You forgot about the NJ one … its the closest one to canada and its before MAT so we should all go there !!

4

I just might go this year. I’ll be done college and I have my passport already. Would be my first time at EVO (though not my first international tourney :D), and I’m entirely uncertain whether I’ll have money to go - especially when I’m also considering a short trip to Japan in April. As for the seeding qualifiers close to Canada, are there any in Michigan or elsewhere in the Midwest? Michigan and Ohio particularly are quite a bit closer to Windsor than the NY area is.

5

here is the full list. I was thinking in terms of Toronto and GTA area in terms of distance.

Shoryuken - Evo Tournament Season, Date, and Location Announced

6

I’m planning on going

"The Rio is off the main strip. I have been told that it is not safe to walk from the Rio to the strip at night (or maybe any time)"
The way you say, it’s a little scary
will be my first time in Vegas, don’t feel like getting stabbed :frowning:

7

This should be stickied, I will be there this year if any canadians want to meet up, id like to do the all canada people buffet again, :smiley:

8

Wynn buffet for sure.

9

DEFINITELY in there. Also, last year I did flight + stay for $575 (direct flight out of Buffalo). Evo can be done on a shoe-string as long as you don’t leave shit till the last minute.

10

Not sure if I’ll be able to get the days off / afford the airfare/hotel. How late do you think I can leave buying the tickets before I’m out of luck?

11

Going for 3rd year in a row! Gotta see how my plans going to work out with Jinrai but I’m psyched already…

12

Going for my first time and I can’t wait. Also can’t wait to meet other Canadian players and get some games in.

13

Just came back from Vegas, and the Paris is where it’s at. I plan on going to Evo for sure this year.

14

eh
don’t think i’m going this year (or at least not yet but plans could change) but when i went in 2009 from toronto:

$400 = westjet direct flight YYZ --> LAS (i waited until april ish and bought it on a seat sale)
$150 = 5 nights @ rio (shared w/ nagata so $300 total for the room)

in any case, subbing to this thread!

and as for flying out of buffalo, here are some things to consider when factoring in your potential “savings”

  • buffalo to las vegas is considered a domestic flight and as such most american airlines charge ** extra money ** for you to check your luggage. (usually $25 per bag, each way). so if you have 2 bags, you have to spend $100 on top of your regular ticket!

  • parking your car at the airport for a week will run you another $25-$100 depending on which lot you choose.

  • and of course, the random lines and waiting times at the border crossing are always ftl

15

2nd time, Monday to Monday likely, gonna poverty king it up at Imperial for Mon to Thurs with some others from WPG (probably 2 or 3 rooms there). If Caesars comes down some, may do that instead.

Then Rio from Thurs to Mon. Pretty tidy trip, likely about 11-14 of us coming out again.

16

I’ll be there.

17

You can get cheap flights and hotel flying out of bellingham (over here and BC)

I don’t know about buffet’s though, vegas has a large concentration of michilin star resteraunts.

I still need a roomate though.

18

Wynn buffet is the only one you need to go to. the Bellagio buffet is overrated.

19

lol it’s not bad at all. I walked from Cesar’s palace to the Rio to see the Penn & Teller show last year and it’s a pretty short walk, has a caged walkway but it was pretty vacant and well lit when me and my wife walked there and back. It’s also right beside a very busy road. A little exercise in caution should be all you need to not have any trouble.

I wasn’t worried about anything, and I had my $2000 camcorder out taking footage like a jackass tourist. =p

Don’t know if I’m going this year or not. If MVC3 is lackluster I’m not much interested in entering just SSF4 again, especially with the whole AE thing still up in the air.

20

me and 4-5 guys are heading from Barrie are going.